{{Firstname|Good morning}}. this week, we welcome new subscribers and introduce a refreshed format for Power Courier, designed to better connect policy, leadership, and real-world outcomes at a moment when all three are under pressure. In this edition, we examine how U.S.–Mexico security cooperation is quietly reshaping long-standing assumptions, why Arizona has a real opening to anchor the next phase of advanced manufacturing, how youth sports and education can drive long-term success for families, and why defending voter trust has become one of the most important leadership tests of this cycle. Across each of these issues, the throughline is simple and urgent: when the pressure is real, execution matters more than rhetoric.

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This week, the Mexican Senate overwhelmingly approved the entry of U.S. special forces into Mexico for joint training with Mexican counterparts. The measure passed 105–0, with one abstention, authorizing a defined exercise that includes U.S. Navy SEALs training alongside Mexican special operations forces. It is not a combat mission, but the vote itself is the story.

For years, Mexican leaders across the political spectrum treated this level of cooperation as a red line, invoking sovereignty and historical memory to shut down the conversation. A unanimous Senate vote signals that the political center of gravity has shifted. What was once taboo is now being acknowledged as a practical response to a changed security reality.

That reality is difficult to ignore. There is no meaningful soberanía when criminal organizations control territory, intimidate institutions, and move drugs, weapons, and money across borders with speed and scale. Sovereignty is not preserved by rhetoric. It is preserved by the state’s ability to assert control and protect its citizens.

Seen through that lens, the Senate vote is not capitulation. It is adaptation. It reflects a growing acceptance that modern security threats require modern partnerships, and that training, interoperability, and trust are tools of strength, not weakness.

For the United States, the vote reflects a long-sought alignment between pressure and partnership. For Mexico, it suggests a willingness to prioritize outcomes over symbolism. The real test will be whether both governments treat this as a durable framework, not a one-off exception.

If execution continues to replace posturing, this moment could mark a more mature phase in U.S.–Mexico security cooperation, benefiting communities on both sides of the border.

A question I hear repeatedly, including in Mexico itself, is simple and pointed: with so many urgent needs at home, why Cuba?

Mexico faces persistent shortages in water, energy reliability, medicine, healthcare capacity, and education. These challenges are not abstract. They affect daily life for millions of families. Against that backdrop, Mexico’s continued focus on supporting Cuba, particularly through energy diplomacy, feels increasingly disconnected from domestic reality.

President Claudia Sheinbaum’s posture toward Cuba is often framed as ideological solidarity. But ideology alone does not explain why external commitments persist while internal needs remain unresolved. The more accurate explanation lies in political signaling and leverage. Energy flows create dependence, influence, and obligation, even when framed as cooperation.

The consequence is a growing credibility gap. Domestically, voters see resources leaving while shortages persist. Internationally, Cuba becomes a friction point with Washington at a moment when Mexico needs pragmatic engagement, not ideological distraction.

This places Sheinbaum in a bind. Managing relationships abroad while failing to resolve urgent needs at home erodes public trust. The question many Mexicans are asking is not anti-Cuba. It is pro-accountability. Why prioritize symbolism abroad when so much remains unfinished at home?

I was in Mexico City last week presenting an idea I’ve been pushing because I believe it closes a real gap. Arizona has become a hub for semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, but much of the precision assembly and component work supporting those investments can be done more efficiently just south of the border.

SouthBridge is a proposal to do that securely and legally, using a CBP-coordinated, in-bond manufacturing corridor aligned with Aduanas through a Recinto Fiscalizado Estratégico framework.

In practical terms, in-bond movement allows goods to cross the border without immediately triggering duties, remain under full customs control, be assembled or tested in Nogales, and return to the United States with duties applied only to the value added. A Recinto Fiscalizado Estratégico enables manufacturing, storage, and transformation inside a secure customs zone without triggering import taxes at every step.

The result is lower costs, faster cycle times, and stronger compliance, without compromising security.

Industries best positioned to benefit include semiconductor supply chains, electronics and electromechanical assembly, medical devices, battery and critical minerals-adjacent components, aerospace suppliers, and advanced logistics.

This is not about shifting jobs away from Arizona. It is about anchoring high-value production in the state while connecting it to a disciplined, secure, and cost-effective manufacturing extension across the border. Done right, this model strengthens Arizona, Mexico, and the companies building the next generation of North American industry.

When kids participate in sports, the impact reaches far beyond the field. Research consistently shows that youth who play sports are more likely to graduate, perform better academically, and develop stronger social and leadership skills. The structure matters. So does the team.

Team sports teach discipline, accountability, resilience, and cooperation. Showing up for practice, taking coaching, learning how to win and lose, and supporting teammates are real-world preparation.

That’s why I’m focused on expanding youth sports clinics and partnerships, learning from models that already operate at scale. In Mexico, the Carlos Slim Foundation has reached hundreds of thousands of young people through sports-based development programs.

Here in Arizona, we’re starting with trusted community partners, including Boys and Girls Club of the Valley, while also connecting sports participation to family education. As kids are on the field, parents should have access to financial literacy, workforce skills, and digital education through platforms like Acceso Latino.

As this initiative takes shape, we’ll share more details. If you have ideas, partnerships, or want to get involved, I encourage you to reach out. This is the kind of investment that pays off for generations.

Leadership isn’t shown by making easy concessions. It’s shown by defending the system when pressure comes from powerful places.

That’s why I’m supporting Adrian Fontes for another four years as Arizona’s Secretary of State.

As federal pressure has increased around voter registration files and election administration, Fontes has been clear: Arizona’s voter data belongs to Arizona voters. He has pushed back, taken legal action, and defended voter trust at a moment when intimidation and overreach are real risks.

Of all Arizona’s statewide elected officials, Adrian Fontes has been the most focused, principled, and on target in executing his responsibilities. In moments like these, we need leaders willing to hold the line, not look for the path of least resistance. He is the right person for this job, and he deserves another four years to keep doing it.

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